Abbazie, priorati e grange benedettine a Catania e sul versante meridionale dell’Etna tra XI e XIII secolo

This study examines the pivotal role played by the Benedictine monks during the Norman conquest of Sicily, which at the time was under Arab rule. The monks did not contribute through military means but instead established a widespread presence in the territories already secured by the Normans. Their primary mission was to re-Christianize the island's population. This essay aims to trace the history of the numerous Benedictine settlements in the region of Catania and the southern slopes of Mount Etna, highlighting the close relationship between the monks and the Norman rulers. It also explores the role of the "hospitales" in the mountain route systems, the monks' efforts to repopulate rural hamlets, and the reclamation of vast land holdings. The millennial presence of the Benedictine Order in the southern Etna area was a transformative historical event, fundamentally reshaping the landscape of this part of the island.